As a lifelong woodworker, I learned at an early age it was fun to make things. It began in my parents garage as an eight-year-old boy, a bench with hand tools and a book called “The Boy Mechanic.” Later in junior high and high school I took every shop class they offered and my skills grew.

In college I majored in Industrial Arts and was fortunate to have studied under Art Carpenter, a master woodworker and furniture maker.  Like so many who crossed paths with this talented woodworker, I was strongly influenced by his sense of style, design and craftsmanship. What he did for so many of us was to free us from traditional design and technique and open our eyes to imagination and originality.

After college I got a license as a street artist and started selling my furniture on the streets of Berkeley, California. This led to showing in local galleries and craft shows. Later, I worked at various jobs including patternmaker, cabinetmaker, finish carpenter, general contractor, boatbuilder and furniture maker.

People often speak of finding your passion but I believe if you’re lucky, passion finds you. After all these years, I think my passion has evolved into a lifestyle and it is still fun to make stuff. I have always been interested in innovation and these days I’m exploring new techniques using carbon fiber and other non-traditional materials. Presently, my time is divided between teaching furniture building at my woodworking school in Grass Valley, California. and building and designing custom furniture.